An Ovation for Arthur Miller

The passing Thursday of the playwright Arthur Miller brought a startling flashback to exactly 56 years ago -- Feb. 10, 1949.

As a young actor, I’d been given a free ticket to the opening night of Miller’s seminal play, “Death of a Salesman,” at New York City’s Morosco Theatre.

For anyone, especially those raised during the Depression, the drama’s tension -- fostered by a profound sense of identification with his lead character, Willy Loman, and his family -- built to a palpable, almost suffocating closeness.

But when the curtain descended, the audience sat in stunned silence for at least three or four minutes. It could have even been longer. The applause finally exploded and rose to a torrent -- a standing ovation and shouts of “bravo, bravo” bounced off the theater’s walls well into the night.

For some, it was an almost out-of-body theatrical reaction. And it certainly promoted Miller to that unique touchstone of greatness.

Fredd Wayne

Santa Monica